PLANS to expand one of South Cheshire's top tourist destinations have been announced following a £15m buyout.

One of the UK's largest independently owned nursery and garden centre businesses, Bridgemere Garden World, has been bought by a consortium led by Wyevale Garden Centres Ltd.

The sale of the 132-acre business, which employs 260 people, was completed after it was on the market for nearly six months.

Owner John Ravenscroft decided to sell up to concentrate on gardening for a hobby after 44 years of building up the centre, which attracts more than 1.25 million visitors a year.

Under a new management team led by industry veteran Jim Hodkinson and Barry Stevenson, a former director of B&Q and Marks & Spencer, Wyevale is looking to substantially expand its business and to build on its market leadership of the garden-centre sector.

Wyevale will take over the running of the garden centre business along with its employees, and new general manager Alyson Haywood says her team aims to build on Bridgemere's 'fantastic reputation'.

She said: 'It is business as usual at Bridgemere. Our aim now is to maintain the garden centre's success, identify areas for improvement in a review and build on it.

'There will be more investment into the site and different products will be added to our range.'

Wyevale Garden Centres Ltd is the UK's leading garden centre operator, with 115 outlets throughout the country.

It was acquired for £323m earlier this year by West Coast Capital (Hortis) Ltd, a group of investors with extensive experience of retailing.

Wyevale chief executive Barry Stevenson said: 'This is Wyevale's first acquisition since going private earlier this year and it demonstrates our determination to build on our strong platform of market leadership within the garden centre industry.

'Bridgemere is already a successful business and fits perfectly into our existing geographical profile. It was an opportunity which we couldn't miss.'

In addition to its core activity, Bridgemere hosts a number of tenant businesses, such as craft supplier Hobbycraft, Ripples, which sells aquatic goods, the Garden Building Company and hot-tub seller Splashabout.

Founder takes on advisory position > > >

Founder takes on advisory position THE founder of Bridgemere Garden World will still keep a hand in the venture he started as a rose grower in 1962.

John Ravenscroft has agreed to join Wyevale's advisory board as chairman to offer advice to the new owner, which will draw on his extensive experience in the horticultural industry.

Mr Ravenscroft, 70, said: 'Bridgemere has great potential and will be able to continue to grow and develop under the Wyevale umbrella.

'It has been my life for over 40 years and I'm delighted to keep an advisory role with the group in my retirement.'

With his wife and sons Nicholas and Richard, who joined the business in 1996 and have run it jointly since 2001, Mr Ravenscroft has built Bridgemere into a multi-million-pound firm.

His interest in gardening began as a child, when he 'dug for victory' with his father in wartime, and continued when he joined the Earl of Bradford's gardening staff at 16.

After two years in the RAF, he resumed horticultural work. In 1961 he bought his first six acres of land with £70 worth of Premium Bonds and a £500 loan from his father and latched on to the fashion for roses.

He then started growing heathers and, at its peak, the business produced half a million plants a year, sold to mail-order companies.

Three-times winner of the Chelsea Gold Award for its show gardens, Bridgemere is renowned for its wide range of rare and special plants, a high proportion of which are grown on site.

The business operates from more than 100,000sq ft of internal and external space, which includes retail outlets and three restaurants.

Ian Simpson of Savills Leisure, which handled the sale, said: 'We are very pleased that Mr Ravenscroft will still be involved.'